Career Woman, Working Mom, and Preggars

Wow, where do I start? I've taken on this new journey of being a "Career Woman" in June 2009. I fell in love with Golden Sol's natural and organic solution so much that I started my own company, SHADE and, just recently, became part owner in Golden Sol. Through support of my family, a little bit of marketing, and "good-ole" word of mouth, I've got over 100 regular clients in the 7 months SHADE's been up and running. A few of which I've actually helped to start their own mobile airbrush companies and now send client leads to them through my marketing. With 2 young children, Katie 3yrs, Tyler 10mos, and 1 on the way, I feel pretty good about what I've accomplished in such a short period of time. It has taken A LOT of support and patience from my family for me to get my business off the ground. Many times I've left my house, kissing my kiddos goodbye, and my heart has wrenched with guilt on leaving them. Then I quickly remind myself of the lesson I'm teaching them about being able to have a career but keeping your family #1. I feel the spray tanning industry is in the baby stages still and is about to explode, taking place over tanning beds. I actually got started doing this business because I had a very deep skin cancerous spot removed from my breast back in May. My dermatologist told me the reason I had that spot, with how deep it was and it's delicate location, was most likely due to the tanning bed. I haven't used a tanning bed in years. My mission is to educate people on how dangerous tanning bed use is. I'm all for hanging outside in the sun, just use sunscreen and under NO circumstance use the tanning bed. Regardless if you only end up with wrinkles and sun spots or worse, you get skin cancer, it takes on average 5-10 years for these skin issues to appear. That's really scary! Since May, I've had 5 spots removed, all of which have been really deep. With the legislature passing the 10% tax on tanning beds that should at least open peoples eyes to how dangerous these things are.
So far, I couldn't be happier with how I've managed my career and family life. The mobile airbrush industry allows me to do so and I couldn't be more thankful for this coming into my life. Do I need to even mention how great it is to be able to contribute to our household income?! Now I have to be honest, since I am expecting another little one soon, I do get a little concerned on how I will handle everything. Again, I remind myself that my family comes first and nothing matters other than that. The clients, who I've helped start their own mobile airbrush business, will be getting a lot more referrals from me until I get back in to my day to day groove. I don't know how long that will take, but I do know it will be on my terms and what feels right for my family.

Working Mom- Balancing it all.

Thirty-one years old and still battling to find a balance between family and being a business owner. For so many years I’ve questioned my self-worth. Not that I didn’t think I was clever enough or capable, just whether I was sacrificing one thing to achieve another. Was it possible to become a successful business owner and to be a great mother?
I remember that my mother once told me, “You can only ever be GREAT at one thing, good at two, fair at three, and then it goes downhill.” It that was true, I was prepared to just be “good” at both career and being a mother.
Already blessed with an amazing daughter, who now is five, my husband and I wanted more. We suffered with two miscarriages after my daughter was born. It was hard and painful to say the least, but we managed through. We always considered how fortunate we are to have our daughter.
Three years since our last pregnancy and much time to forget, we found out a few weeks back that we were pregnant. The surprising thing was that we weren’t even trying. I was so excited and hopeful. A few very short days later we found out that it just didn’t work out.
I felt broken. It wasn’t this miscarriage that broke me, but the forgotten hopes and dreams of another child from three years back that came bubbling to the surface. However, through every heartache, something profound can be learned.
I realized that I’m truly happy with who I am as a person and more importantly who I am as a mother. My husband and I have picked ourselves back up and are now on a mission to get on the baby bus.
As for my career – well, can you ever have it all? I think so. I feel like I’ve found a balance between maintaining the career-driven aspects that help to fulfill me in my life while at the same time being able to pick up my daughter when school gets out. To me, it doesn’t get better than that.